Resale of Concert Tickets 2025-11-27
2025-11-27
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
Fans have been paying inflated prices for concert tickets, leading to concerns about exploitation by touts in the live events industry.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a cap on the resale of concert tickets. This summer, thousands of music fans in Scotland were dismayed at having to pay hugely inflated prices to see their favourite bands, including Oasis, so my right hon. Friend’s announcement on capping the resale price of tickets will be welcome news for all those fans. Will she consider what further measures can be taken to ensure a fair deal on ticket prices for concert-goers across the UK?
For too long, fans have been exploited by touts seeking to profiteer from the UK’s booming live events industry. Last week, we announced that time is up for ticket touts and that change is coming, by introducing a cap on the price that tickets can be resold for. We estimate that this will save fans over £100 million a year. Among the measures that we have introduced recently are resale volume limits to prevent people from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the primary sale. The Competition and Markets Authority will be able to fine non-compliant platforms up to 10% of their annual turnover, which could mean multimillion-pound fines for rogue firms if they target UK consumers.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
Concert tickets were being sold on secondary sites at more than four times their original price within minutes of going on sale for an event in Belfast.
I am aware of tickets for the Belsonic event at the Boucher Road playing fields in Belfast previously appearing on secondary sites at more than four times their original price within minutes of going on sale, so I welcome the news from the Secretary of State. What progress has been made on perhaps introducing a 5% to 10% cap on the resale of concert tickets?
In terms of the resale of concert tickets, we have taken a decision after a long period of consultation to cap the resale at the original price. The hon. Gentleman mentions some examples; just recently, I looked at some Radiohead tickets that were on sale originally for £100 and were being resold on one of these platforms for more than £1,000. That is an absolute rip-off for fans and has gone on in plain sight for far too long, which is why we have announced that tickets will be resold for the original price.
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